Taiwanese metal band Chthonic have entered the studio to record their new album, Takasago Army.

Takasago Army was produced by Rickard Bengtsson (Arch Enemy, Nemesis) in Sweet Spot Studios, Sweden. The 10-track album completes a trilogy by Chthonic, binding the albums Seediq Bale (2007) and Mirror Of Retribution (2009) together. The album will be released in June through Spinefarm Records.

Comments bassist Doris Yeh: "The Takasago Army was a Taiwanese troop of Japanese force/Axis powers that fought in the Pacific War/World War II between 1940 and 1944. The Takasago soldiers were descendants of a brave and powerful people from the mountains of Taiwan, people with a strong warrior tradition. They impressed their rivals with their cunning, tenacity and skill on the battlefield, and they became the most revered and most feared combat unit in the Japanese Imperial Army.

We have been categorized as black metal, death metal, melodic death, symphonic black metal and folk metal by different critics, and we appreciate that it's very hard to put us into a precise genre, On the one hand, we are inspired by some western metal music, but on the other, we are influenced by traditional Asian music forms, such as pentatonic scales, 'enka' music, and Taiwanese opera.

When we were writing this new album, we tried to find the perfect balance between these two traditions, so that is why we've decided to use the 'orient metal' banner to define what we do. Plus, it provides a reference point for other Asian bands who want to head in the same direction...."

In other news, Chthonic are planning several festival shows for the summer. And also an extended re-release version of Seediq Bale will be available through Spinefarm Records in summer.